


Herbal Remedy

by HaziestShade



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship, Recreational Drug Use, Weed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24345460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaziestShade/pseuds/HaziestShade
Summary: Petra recognizes a greenhouse herb as one used for relaxation in Brigid, Dorothea decides Edelgard and Byleth need to cut loose a little.Weed and friendship follows.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	Herbal Remedy

“What did you say this herb was?” Edelgard asked, curious. It looked the same as any other to her, a dark green three-leaved thing.

Petra twirled the stem around her finger. “In Brigid it is called khanabes. It is used for having relaxation.”

“Relaxation, huh?” Dorothea looked up from her compact mirror. “I know a few people who could use some relaxation.” She stared at Edelgard meaningfully. 

“I am perfectly relaxed, Dorothea.” She said stiffly. Dorothea giggled. “Sure Eddy.” She gracefully pushed herself off the desk and loosely grasped Edelgard’s shoulder. 

“Dorothea.” Edelgard said tensely. Dorothea sighed. “Eddy, you stand so rigid it’s like grasping a mountain.” 

Edelgard flushed. “Well-”

“You are not having much relaxation,” Petra said, moving beside Dorothea. 

Edelgard took a deep breath, putting a hand to her head. “I suppose I could afford...to be a bit less tense.” She admitted.

Dorothea clapped. “That’s the spirit Eddy! I’ll go get Bernadetta and we’ll meet this evening in my room.” She scampered off before Edelgard could object.

Petra gave her a knowing look. “I will be inviting the professor as well.” She said, a strange coyness to her voice.

Edelgard nodded. “The professor works very hard.” Byleth was always training, giving students one on one attention, working on lesson plans. She remembered Byleth bent over her desk, her hair falling around them and her eyes sparkling as she explained-

“Edelgard.” Petra snapped her back to reality. Edelgard twisted a strand of her hair. “I was just...thinking of...dinner.” She lied, a strange heat overtaking her.

Petra smiled knowingly. “You must be having great feelings for this dinner.” She said, with a note of amusement.

Edelgard ran a hand through her hair. “I have...some business to attend to. Sorry, Petra.” She said before rushing out of the classroom. 

Edelgard let out a sigh of relief. She could never have predicted Petra and Dorothea’s friendship turning the two into a menace of perception and intuition. The two of them noticed far too much.  _ If they were to find out about my plan...  _ Edelgard’s heart clenched. She would need to be ready to move forward without her friends, but the thought hurt all the same.

The rest of her day passed by in a haze of paperwork, lectures, and training. By the time Edelgard had finished her sword practice, she was sweaty, mentally tapped, and aching in every limb. 

She shuffled to her room ready to work on a stack of productivity reports for mining in the west of the empire when she was tapped lightly on the shoulder.

“Did you forget our plans, Eddy?” Dorothea asked, fake pouting.

“Dorothea.” Edelgard breathed, taken by surprise.

“In the flesh.” Dorothea took her arm in a gentle but firm grip. “It’ll be fun, I promise.” She said, with a wink. 

Edelgard smiled tightly. “Dorothea I-” 

“ _ And _ Professor Byleth will be there,” Dorothea said, teasingly.

Edelgard followed her mutely. 

Dorothea’s room was a cluster of many-colored bottles, ointments, creams, and perfumes lining nearly every surface. Petra sat cross-legged on the floor, a small leather bag in her hand, in the corner Bernadetta hugged her legs, rocking slightly.

“Sit down Eddy.” Dorothea gestured to the floor. Edelgard gingerly pushed a silk bra out of the way and sat against the wall. 

“Now, what do we do before the professor gets here?” Dorothea asked, taking a seat on her bed. 

“In Brigid food is being prepared before the herb is used,” Petra said, twirling a dagger between her fingers.

“Well,  _ that’s  _ what the dining room is for, isn’t it?” Dorothea said thoughtfully.

“Um. Isn’t the dining room sort of...um, closed?” Bernadetta said meekly.

“But it  _ is  _ a tradition in Brigid for food to be present,” Dorothea said with a nod from Petra.

“Eddie and I will come back with some snacks, you sit tight,” Dorothea ordered.

“Sitting tight?” Petra asked. “Are you meaning with ropes?” 

“It’s an expression, it means to stay here,” Edelgard explained, getting to her feet. 

“Dorothea, are you sure this is necessary?” Edelgard asked skeptically.  _ Stealing from the dining room would be a good way to get Lady Rhea cross with me, and the last thing I want is Rhea’s attention. _

“I’m absolutely sure. Unless…” Dorothea said, a playful look. 

“Unless?” Edelgard asked, an ominous feeling overtaking her.

“Well, unless you’re scared of upsetting Lady Rhea?” Dorothea teased.

Edelgard restrained her sigh.  _ We should all be scared of upsetting Lady Rhea.  _ She thought ruefully. Yet still, there was something appealing about the idea of such petty disobedience. To help her friends steal snacks from an immortal god-like dragon was...surreal. 

“I’ll go with you.” She said at last.

“Thank you Eddy!” Dorothea embraced her, Edelgard awkwardly patting her back.

They walked together, careful to avoid any patrolling professors, and eased the dining room doors open. Carefully they made their way to the kitchen.

Dorothea opened the pantry, a look of joy on her face as she pocketed a tin of tea cookies. Edelgard turned, feeling foolish, as she snagged a half-eaten wheel of cheese, and a bottle of cider. 

“Really Eddy?” Dorothea whispered. Her arms full of goodies. Edelgard flushed. “Let’s just go!” She hissed back.

Dorothea giggled quietly. “Sounds good.” They crept back to Dorothea’s room, Edelgard pausing to feed a stray cat.

“We’re back!” Dorothea announced opening the door.

Byleth looked up from her spot on the bed. “I thought the dining room was closed at night.” She said, a blank look on her face.

Edelgard looked desperately at Dorothea. “Well...we opened it.” She sat their pilfered goods on her overflowing trunk. Edelgard took a seat by Byleth, giving her a smile.

“I think we’re ready.” Dorothea gestured to Petra. “I am having readiness,” Petra said, opening the bag. The smell was peculiar, a sort of natural woody smell. 

Edelgard watched curiously as Petra took a piece of parchment and rolled the herb inside. 

“You d..don’t just eat it?” Bernadetta asked nervously. Petra shook her head, with a laugh. “No, you can’t be eating this. You have to be…” Her face crinkled in thought. “I am not knowing the word.” 

Dorothea patted her on the shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.” Petra took the roll of parchment and examined it before nodding. “Okay! Now Dorothea will put it on fire.” 

“Fi...Fire?” Bernadetta asked a look of terror on her face.

Byleth gave her a concerned look. “I’m sure Petra knows what she’s doing. It will be fine.” She said calmly.

“Ok.” Bernadetta said softly.

Dorothea snapped her fingers, sparking the roll of parchment. The smell made Edelgard wrinkle her nose. “Is this the relaxing part?” She asked skeptically.

Petra shook her head. “No, you do...um...I will show you.” She put the roll to her lips and inhaled, before letting out a cloud of smoke. She smiled, a calm expression overtaking her face. “This is….of a good quality.” She said, languidly.

“Ohh, I’ll try!” Dorothea said excitedly. She breathed in before exhaling with a cough. She coughed a couple more times holding the herb aloft. Edelgard looked at her, worried. 

“Are you alright?” She asked, taking the parchment from her.

Dorothea laughed as her coughs faded. “I’m fine Eddy, just wasn’t ready for it I guess.” 

“Beginners can be having trouble. I should have been mentioning that.” Petra said, abashed. Dorothea put a fond arm around Petra. “It’s fine Petra! I feel fine now.” She assured her, a calm smile on her face.

Edelgard looked inquisitively at the parchment roll.  _ What if I react badly? what if it makes me says...things I should not?  _ She knew she should leave, go back to her room and do her reports. A gentle hand took her by the shoulder. 

“Do you want to try it?” Byleth asked, gazing at her curiously.

Edelgard looked at her, her blue hair fell disheveled around her face and she wore an almost unnoticeable smile. Edelgard swallowed her caution. “I do.” She mimed what Petra had shown her, raising the roll to her lips and breathing in. 

She let the acrid smoke fill her lungs before breathing out, a small cough following. Byleth took the roll from, squeezing her shoulder. “It didn’t hurt you, did it?” her teacher asked.

Edelgard smiled at her. “No, no, not at all.” She said truthfully. 

She felt a light daze settle on her. She leaned back against the wall. “Hubert would faint if he knew I did this.” She confessed lightly.

Dorothea laughed. “Something disturbing the unflappable Hubert?” 

Edelgard smiled. “Don’t laugh till you’ve seen him hiss at a cat for getting too close to you.”

Dorothea let out another burst of laughter. “Wait, really?”

Edelgard nodded, watching Byleth exhale a cloud of smoke. “That is...pleasant.” She murmured.

“I am agreeing.” Petra nodded.

Edelgard leaned back, shutting her eyes. She hadn’t felt calm, truly calm, since...since Enbarr.

Petra and Dorothea fell into a familiar rhythm, Dorothea sharing Gharreg Mach’s endless stream of gossip while Petra nodded along, her face avid.

Edelgard opened her eyes as Bernadetta laughed quietly. Edelgard looked at her surprised, she’d never seen the girl laugh before.

Bernie’s eyes widened. “Sorry...Sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you.” She wrung her hands, terror creeping into her expression.

“I’m not angry Bernadetta. I was just...surprised to see you laugh.” Edelgard admitted.

Bernadetta slowly untensed. “Oh...that’s good. I was just thinking about how...you and Hubert always seem so scary, and how you’ll be the empress one day and you’re just...just here with us tonight and you don’t seem scary at all!” Bernadetta said her words coming out in a mad scramble.

Edelgard smiled. “Do I really seem scary?” She asked. She was aware she could be a little...unapproachable, but she was hardly frightening.

Dorothea and Petra were silent, as was Byleth. 

Edelgard looked at them. “What?” She asked, nervous at being the new center of attention.

“You’re a  _ little  _ scary sometimes Eddy. Just a little.” Dorothea said, her smile apologetic.

“Well-” She paused her argument as Petra nodded. “You are a person of some...intimidation.” Petra agreed. 

“I don’t think you’re scary,” Byleth said, turning to her, her face calm and kind.

Affection swept through her. “I...Thank you, my teacher.” She said gratefully. 

“Either way, I could get used to seeing you more relaxed,” Dorothea said. 

Edelgard sighed. “I wouldn’t get used to it...I have certain obligations that keep me from relaxing.”

“We could be helping you with these obligations,” Petra offered earnestly.

“Ye...Yeah, if you need something mended or...or embroidered...I could help, I think.” Bernadetta added.

Gratitude filled her chest and she smiled unbidden. “I...thank you. Thank you.” She said, gratefully.

Her friends would not be able to help her  _ (not yet)  _ on her path, but that they offered was sweet, sweet in a way no one had been in a long time. 

Edelgard looked to Byleth, giggling as she noted her clasped eyes and soft snores.

“Sleep well, my teacher.” She murmured. She moved to sit by Dorothea who had taken another drag of the parchment roll. 

Edelgard smiled, grateful to Petra and Dorothea for inviting her, Bernadetta for coming, Byleth for just being Byleth and absurdly she felt grateful to the calming herb for giving them an excuse to come together.

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all, this is just an idea that i couldn't get out of my mind and so here it is! i hope you all enjoy it.  
> Please leave any critiques/compliments you have


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